Cutting and separating device



4Amig 18 1925 E. E. BRASS CUTTING AND SEPARATING DEVICE Filed MarOh 28, 1925 Inu JIIH.

4Z I NV EN TOR.

fan/mw E 56955,

A TT ORNE YS.

Patenten aeg. 1e, reas.

UNITED STATES g 15,550,423 PATENT' oprime.'

EDWARD E. DRASS, or PETERSBURG, rrLINors, assreNoRTo rNnrfiNA cANNrNe ne,- CHINERY COMPANY, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, n ooR'roRArroN.

CUTTING AND SEPARATING DEVICE.

Application lcd Altllarch 28, 1925.' VSerial iNo. 19,037.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it liinown .that I, Eowano E. Busse, a citizen of the United States,.and a resident of Petersburg, countyof Menard, and State of Iliinois, have invented a certain new and useful Cutting and Separating Device; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to' the accompanying drawings, in which like ynumerals refer to like parts.

. This invention pertains to a pumpkin cutter and separator -for cutting .up pumpkins into relatively small .pieces andr separating the seeds therefrom.

Theiobject of the invention is to provide a machine of this character into whiehpumpkins after having beencleansed are fed, and which, through the power driven operation thereof, will cut .the pumpkins into small pieces, permit the seeds to be discharged and separated therefrom, rinsing the pieces of pumpkin andv thereafter discharging them into a suitable conveyor.

The full nature of the invention will be nndcrstood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

lnthe drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is ay central vertical section taken therethrough, showing the power driving mechanism in elevation.

Inthe drawings there is shown a machine embodying a table supported by the legs 11. Mounted on the table framethere are brackets 12 forfrotatably supporting a driving shaft 18. Keyed to said shaft on one end` thereof there isa spider 1li upon which the cutting blades 15 are rigidly secured, 4said cutting blades extending diametrically across the face of the spider, having one cutting edge bent sligntly to the rear andthe other cutting-edge `bent forwardly at an angle, as shown in Figs.'1 andk 2. Siurounding the cutting knife there is a cylindricalicage 16 having its periphery formed of the crisscross straps 17 so as toileave a rectangular opening therebetween. Therear surface of the `cage is provided with a back plate 18 and is supported upon amounting 19 keyed to 'a hollow driving: shaft 20 which surrounds the shaft 13 and is rotatable with respect thereto. The forward end of the cage is provided with a closing-'plate 21 having an annular Opening 22` about thel center thereof. Said forward 'end-of the' cage is supported by. ali-angle iron `ring 23to which `it isrigidly secured., `said-.ring riding upon 1the rollers 24C. f

Mounted on .the forward. end: ofthe frame there 'iss a discharge .chute ..25 supported in position vby Vthe brackets 226 for :discharging piunpkins into .the cage :through 4the opening 22. l

Surrounding said cage and spacedxfrom the .periphery thereof ,there is a Aperforated or screened drum V27, 4the periphery :thereof being spaced from the periphery of the cage sufficiently to permit the free movement Aof the particlesof pumpkin therebetween. The

forwardportion of the frame isa continua-v tion-ofthe front plate 21 andtherear portion thereof is yentirely open. Therefore, said drum is supported by the rollers .24.and forms rigid part'of the cage. )Surrounding the upper portion of the drum and spaced from the upper periphery thereof there is acasingor housing 28. Suspended fromV the frame 10 immediately below the drum 27 there is an underepan 29, `and ladj'acentcthereto extending under the table 10 there is aconveyorlO in position to receive the particles of pumpkin 31 which may tumble out of the open face. ofthe drum.

The shaft 13 is driven from any suitable source ofpower througlrthe medium offa fixed pulley 32, and as said shaft ,is directly yconnected with the'cutting blades 15,' said bladeswilly be rotated at the same speedas the driving pulley. Said shaft is provided withfafly wheel 33 .and a pinion34. Said pinion is adapted to mesh ywith a .gear l35 keyed-to a shaft 5o-upon which .is'keyed a inion 37 adapted to mesh with aj gear 38. baid gear 38 rides freely on the shaft 13 and is directly connected with the hollowsha-ftv 20, whereby the cage and drum will be rotated therethrough at a reduced speedfrom the cutting knives. Keyed to the shaftv there is a sprocket wheel 40 adapted to. drive a sprocket chain 41 which drives a sprocket 42 which in turnthrough suitablegcaring drives the screw conveyor 80.

Mounted upon the frame there are provided suitable water pipes l tfhaving nozzles 44' for directing a spray intothe drum for rinsing. cut particles of pumpkin and `washingfthe seeds therefrom. i

ln loperation 'the pumpkins are .washedv and discharged `throughithe chute 25v into the cage. They .are caused to rotate thereby and are cut into small pieces through the action of the rotating cutting blades l5. They are retained in the cage until they are cut in small enough pieces to pass through the rectangular spaces formed by the relative positions-of the straps 17, after which they pass into the space between the cage and the drum 27. The rotation of the drum with the cage causes the seeds to be released and discharged through the perforations in the screen so as to fall into the under pan 29. At the same time the seeds and pieces of pumpkins yare sprayed and rinsed with the Water from the pipe 43. As the drum loecomes filled with particles of pumpkin they Will force each other therefrom into the conveyor 30 and be carried aivay thereby from the machine.

The invention claimed is:

l. A cutter and separator comprising a cage for receiving pumpkins or the like, said cage being provided with relatively large openings therein, a rotary cutting knife rotatably mounted in said cage, and means for rotating said knife, whereby the pumpkins 0r the like contained therein Will be cut and caused to pass through the openings in said cage.

Q. A cutter and separator comprising a rotatable cage for receiving` pumpkins or the like, said cage being provided with relative large openings therein, a rotary cutting knife rotatably mounted in said cage, and means for rotating said knife and cage, whereby the pumpkins or the like contained therein will be cut and caused to pass through the openings in said cage.

3. A cutter and separator comprising a rotary cage for receiving` pumpkins or the like, said cage being provided with relatively large openings therein, a rotary cutting -rnife rotatably mounted in said cage, and means for rotating said knife and cage at different speeds with respect to each other.

4. A cutter and separator comprising a cage member for receiving i-umpkins or the like, said cage member being provided With relatively large openings therein, a cutting knife member mounted in said cage, and means for rotating one ot' said members With respect to each other. p

5. A cutter and separator romprising a rotatable cage for receiving pumpkins or the like, said cage being provided with a front plate having a rei* rely large annular opening through which the pumpkin or the like may pass, a rear plate closing the opposite side thereof, a plu ality of straps connecting said plates, a plurality of peripheral straps connected thereto, said straps forming the periphery of said cage and being spaced apart so as to provide relatively large openings therethrough, a cutting blade mounted in said cage, and means for rotating said blade therein.

6. A cutter and separator comprising a rotatable cage for receiving pumpkins or the like, said cage being provided with relatively large openings therein, a front plate having` a central opening' through which the pumpkins or the like may pass, a rear plate for closing the rear thereof and providing a bearing, a shaft extending therethrough upon which said cage is rotatably mounted, a ring secured to the front plate about the opening therein, a roller upon which said ring is adapted to ride, whereby said cage will be rotatably supported at the front thereof, a cutting knife rotatably mounted in said cage, and means for rotating said knife and cage at different speeds.

T. fr. cutter and separator comprising a ca e for receiving pumpkins or the like, said cage being provided with relatively large openings therein, a perforated drum mounted about said cage so as to surround the same and be spaced therefrom, a rotating cutting knife mounted in said cage, and means for rotating said knife therein.

S. A cutter and separator comprising a cage for rcceiif'ing pumpkins or the like, said cage being provided with relatively large openings therein, a perforated drum mount-- ed about said cage so as to surround the same and be spaced therefrom, a rotating cutting knife in said cage, and means for rotating said cage and drum as a unit and said cutting knife independently thereof at different speeds.

9. A. cutter and separator comprising a cage for receiving pumpkins or the like, said cage being provided with relatively largo openings therein, a perforated drum mounted about said cage so as to surround the same and be spaced therefrom, a rotating cutting knife in said cage, means for rotatH ing said cage and drum as a unit and said cutting knife independently' hereof at different speeds, and means associated With said drinn for discl'iarging a rinsing spray therein.

10. A cutter and separator comprising a cage for receiving pumpkins or the like. said cage being provided with relatively large openings therein, a perforated drum mounted about said cage so as to surround the same and be spaced therefrom, a rotating cutting knife in said cage, means for rotating said cage and drinn as a unit and said cutting knife independently thereof at different speeds, an under pan mounted beloiv said drum for receiving the contents thereof which may pass through its perforations, and a conveyor associated therewith in position to receive the contents thereof which are small enough to pass through the openings in said cage, but not through the perforations.

ln witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

EDVARD E. BRASS. 

